Ascent of Mount Passaconaway on 2013-07-22

Ascent Trip Report

I headed to Mount Passaconaway after summitting Mt. Whiteface. The hike from there began on Rollins Trail.

Rollins Trail descended several hundred feet, steeply at times, to the col between Whiteface and Passaconaway. The clouds here got quite dark (but it never rained at all during the entire hike), so I felt really alone. After the switchbacks, the clouds got lighter, and I soon reached Dicey's Mill Trail, which led 0.9 mile to Passconaway's summit.

Between the junction and the East Loop, the grade was moderate at the steepest. From there to the summit, it passed Camp Rich, a tentsite, with easy grades, but after some switchbacks, the grade got a bit steeper with rough footing. It soon eased, passed a ledge, and intersected with the spur path to the summit.

I reached Passaconaway's summit at about 1:40 PM. This was also wooded and viewless, so I took a summit shot and ate lunch (two squished cereal bars; I forgot to pack food , but I still had some in my pack from past trips). The only real view of the trip was a cloudy view of the Tripyramids and the Sleepers, but nothing beyond them was visible. At 1:50 PM, I headed to the junction with Rollins Trail and headed down Dicey's Mill Trail.

The grade from here was moderate with good footing; near the Tom Wiggin Trail (steep), the grade became easy. I did cross a brook, which was a little tricky to cross, but that was the only water crossing of the hike.

I soon exited FS land and was back on private land. I followed a standard trail for a bit and then went through a grassy patch onto a dirt road, passing close to a house. I went around the gate for that house, passed by a couple more houses, and walked a short distance on Ferncroft Rd. to the parking area.